The Non-Profit Event – An Expose of the Elements and Craft

Oh, the fundraising gala. How I both love and hate thee. It is just one of those things.

On the one hand, people LOVE a good gala. And who wouldn’t? A fundraising gala gives people the opportunity to get dressed up, gives them a chance to go out and have a few drinks, and of course, who doesn’t LOVE a silent auction? Your event goers are thrilled that they have the chance to get out of the house and spend a night out on the town. And if they can support a good cause while they do all of this fun and exciting stuff? Then it’s even better!

But, when it comes to hosting and creating a great non-profit event, it isn’t as simple as using a checklist (even more so than business/corporate events). The reason WHY you are creating the event is much different than a business, and therefore requires a varied and unique approach. Let me give you a behind the scenes peek at what it is like to plan a non-profit event and the elements necessary to ensure success! (And the reasons why I typically caution any new group who says “Hey! Let’s have a gala!”)

STEP ONE when starting the non-profit event brainstorm, ask the biggest questions:

·     “What are my objectives?”

·     “Where will this event take place?”

·     “When will this event take place?”

·     “How will we go about putting on this event?”

·     And most importantly: “WHY are we hosting this event?”

Your event planning process can move no further until you have first answered these questions.

Sit down with your team before looking at venues (and corresponding caterers), and thoroughly analyze your hopes and goals that you wish to accomplish with this event.

STEP TWO for planning your event, is knowing: “Who is going to come?”

Of course, when answering this question, most people will say that the non-profit event is for the cause! But this is where they are wrong. The event HAS to be for the people attending. And in that case, which individuals? You can’t say ‘everybody’, so you need to target your messaging. Without these specific individuals, you will spend thousands of dollars on an event that will raise nothing but your stress levels. Whatever event you host (gala, walkathon, silent auction, etc.), you NEED to have the right people there to support you and your cause. Ultimately, your guests want a good return on investment for their time and money. What does that look like from a non-profit event standpoint? What is it EXACTLY that your SPECIFIC GUESTS want?

To answer this, let’s think about who will be attending.

There are the people who LOVE non-profit events, galas, and fundraisers, and there are the people who prefer to stay home.

Let’s focus on the people who LOVE these events and not on the ones who prefer to support their favourite causes in another way. This segmentation is why fundraising is divided up into different categories – major gifts, endowments, events, and direct campaigns. Something for every type of donor.

But, back to the fundraising event lovers. When determining who to invite, it is a good strategy to create an ‘ideal person’ in your mind who will be your target audience. What is their name? Are they married and/or have kids? Where do they typically work? Are they young people who want to make the world a better place while having fun? Or are they semi-retired people who are looking to get out while strengthening their philanthropic reputation? Once you create your ‘target audience,’ you need to find these particular people and reach out to them. They will be the key in turning your simple occasion into an extraordinary ‘gala.’

So, how are you going to reach them?

According to Nonprofits Source, “43% attend or participate in charitable events in their community because of social media.”

This means that in order for your non-profit event to be a success, have a large enough attendance, and raise the money needed to profit, marketing your event is critical – both digitally and traditionally. Create Facebook events, send out physical invitations, alert subscribers in your newsletters, post your event on sharing sites like Eventbrite, broadcast it on the radio. Whatever you need to do to reach your target audience, THAT should be one of your primary focuses. 

Because without the people, there is no event.

Another type of ‘party’ people you need to consider for your event are the ‘event champions.’ Who are ‘Event Champions’? These are the individuals/companies that I’ve see as fundamental to our great galas of the past. They have a board or committee who are ‘in the know.’ They often are leaders in a particular industry and they challenge others in the industry to get involved in the event. Oil and gas? Real estate? Find the industry that will pair well with your cause/organization and seek out their support. Once that happens, the event champions will help bring in other event guests. 

It's time for STEP THREE: determining how to make the MOST profit.

In order for your organization to be a success, you must spend money to make money. The same goes for any business. But when it comes to EVENTS, you need to start asking yourself what is the BEST way to make money for your organization? And is making money even the goal, or are you trying to raise awareness instead?

‘FUN’ FACT: Many events cost half of the revenues they often generate.

If you look at an epic fundraising event (major walkathon, for example), it has enormous COSTS simply to put a single event on. Sure, the event may have brought in $10 million dollars… But what you don’t see is that the event also may cost $5 million to execute. Does this mean we should turn our noses up to the $5 million raised? Of course not! But that is the thing with events… they DO cost money. 

This is where it is important to understand who your audience is. Are they loving the big splashy events with pretty décor and customized pillows? Or are they more likely to look at a centrepiece and be upset with the known cost of a centrepiece (although many may not be aware that a single centrepiece could be over $75) Where is the balance?

So, the key to turning a profit? INCREDIBLE planning and organization, having a CLEAR sense of what the event is trying to accomplish, confirming AWESOME sponsors/champions, and MARKETING your event to reach the masses.

Bringing in money is the ultimate goal.

When you are worrying about auction items, bar times, table layouts and other little details that take you away from the big picture, you might find that your path becomes clouded. Focus on what you’re great at: Nailing down your event purpose, understanding your audience, setting up structures that raise the money (silent auctions, ticket sales, sponsors, speakers), and bring on an event professional to make sure it all runs smoothly together!

 If you are planning on hosting a fundraising non-profit event for your organization, take the time to consider each of the necessary elements that will make for a successful event. With a good plan, the right people in place to complete it (such as Details! Event Management), and the guests to make the magic happen, you will end up with an event that turns a profit and makes a difference in the lives of everyone involved.

Another element to consider is your involvement AT the gala. Your team NEEDS to be actively conversing with guests and developing those relationships. They shouldn’t be stressing about the time dinner is coming out, or wine, or the photo booth set up. Details! regularly works with non-profits to be the MAIN point of contact for the day of. We’ll take that stress and make sure everything runs smoothly, allowing your team to focus on the relationships.

Sources:

https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/social-media/?fbclid=IwAR37BF7vB-nXA5mHPh9It--Ok7r-g7O60vi_VpJgl6KqKBN5vfzXYEZ6Z8Q